JUI-F chief slams aspirants seeking PTI ticket

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the head of the eponymous faction of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI), on Monday said that those who were complaining against rigging in the 2018 elections, were looking for the ticket of the same party, which came to power five years ago, to contest the elections this time.

Addressing an election rally in Lakki Marwat, Fazl said that other parties always put the people into trouble, as they promoted and filled the bellies of a certain class of people.

However, he stressed that it was the only the JUI-F which never legitimised the illegitimate.

“The 2018 elections were rigged and as a result, the government came,” he said, referring to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). “Those who stood with us against the rigging, want to contest the election by taking the ticket of the same party today.”

He lamented, “Voting is the easiest forum in an ideological war. But even in this Jihad we go around. Our assemblies are full of people who pass bills that contradicted the Quran and the Sunnah. People sitting in assemblies are not interested in Islamic laws.”

The JUI-F chief told the crowd that his party spoke the truth not only in Pakistan, but across the globe.
“We raised the voice of truth in front of big powers like America and Europe. When America invaded Afghanistan, no party was seen in the streets except the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam,” he said.

Fazl also slammed Israel, terming it “a monster that forcibly occupies the land of Palestine”.

He said that people in Palestine were being bombarded – most of them are children and women, yet, America and Western powers “teach us human rights”.

He added that no one wanted to anger America and no one was speaking in favour of Palestine but “we met with the leadership of Hamas and told the world that we stand by the Muslims” against the Jews.

“Have other contestants the courage to stand by the side of our Muslim brothers?”